TV: Ebert & Roeper

This week on Ebert & Roeper, something happened which I think may be completely unprecedented in the more than 25 years Roger Ebert has been doing movie reviews on TV: he changed his mind.

In his review for Samuel L. Jackson's upcoming South African drama In My Country (inexplicably listed as Country of My Skull on IMDb), Ebert indicated that he was conflicted, that his thumb was sideways, but he eventually concluded that he was giving the film a marginal thumbs up (complete with onscreen thumbs up graphic). Richard Roeper then gave a much more negative review of the film. Ebert found himself in complete agreement with every one of Roeper's criticisms. And the scales fell from Ebert's eyes, and he said, and I quote, "Whoa!" And he changed his vote (complete with another onscreen graphic, this time thumbs down).

Dogs and cats living together! This has shaken me to my veriest soul. Ebert changed his opinion? Because of Roeper?? Whoa, indeed. Maybe he's mellowing with age. Or maybe he feels he can let his guard down in front of Roeper, who can't touch Ebert's knowledge and experience. You think Ebert ever would've admitted to being wrong in front of Gene Siskel? Not bloody likely. We're living in a new age, my friends.